Now that "Who is Superwoman?" is over, it's nice to see "Supergirl" returning to what those first issues under Sterling Gates were all about -- namely, good character pieces about Supergirl, making this latest version of Kara Zor-El into someone actually worth reading about.

"Guilding Day" reminds me a lot of an old Silver Age comic, in a good way. You can see the "surprise" towards the end of the issue coming early on, but this issue of "Supergirl" isn't about the surprise, it's about the journey in getting there. As Supergirl prepares to choose which Kryptonian guild she'll join, we get more glimpses of what life on New Krypton is like, for good or for ill. It's at times like this that I'm happy for the creation of New Krypton in the DC Universe, because it's a story that couldn't be told without some serious handwaving or cop-outs along the way.

So in the same way that "World of New Krypton" is exploring what it's like to actually live in Kryptonian society, "Supergirl" tackles it on a close, personal level. Supergirl herself is a good candidate for this kind of story; unlike Superman, she did grow up initially in Kryptonian society, but she's spent enough time away from it as well that parts of it can feel slightly alien and odd as she becomes truly immersed in it. She's the right set of eyes for the reader, taking some things for granted but puzzling over other pieces.

Igle's art continues to look nice in "Supergirl," handling with strength not only the alien architecture of New Krypton but also its people. Everyone looks real, here, not some over-rendered imagining of the perfect humanoid. From grubby labor guild workers to the uniformed military guild, everyone looks good under Igle's pencil. After waif-like, slightly-icky versions of Supergirl, it's more than a little relief to have someone drawing her like a strong and mature person that fits the outfit well.

"Supergirl" under Gates and Igle has turned into a solid, enjoyable book. I like their take on the character, and on the whole the stories they've told are fun. Here's hoping for more short, sweet stories like this down the line.